Draft-gear for use in combination with couplings of railroad-cars.



G. 6., H. E. & L. D. ROSS. DRAFT GEARFOR USE IN COMBINATION WITH COUPLINGS 0F RAILROAD CARS.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

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G. G., H. E. & L. U. ROSS.

DRAFT GEAR FOR USE IN COMBINATION WITH COUPLINGS OF RAILROAD CARS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 8, m5.

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GEORGE Gr. ROSS, HARRY E. ROSS,

AND LEO D. ROSS, OF GREENSBUBG, PENNSYLVANIA.

DRAFT-GEAR FOR USE IN COMBINATION WITH COUPLINGS OF RAILROAD-CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

Application filed March 8, 1915. Serial No. 12,834.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, GEORGE G. Ross, HARRY E. Ross, and Leo D. Ross, citizens of the United States, residing at Greensburg, in the county of WVestmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft- Gears for Use in Combination with Gouplings of Railroad-Oars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to draft gears of the pneumatic, hydraulic and hydrostatic type and has for its object to provide a draft gear of such type in a manner as hereinafter set forth with a plunger acting in a cylinder in conjunction with liquid and fluid as a means of absorbing'the shock of an impact longitudinally imparted to a railroad vehicle through the drawbar.

A further ob ect of the invention is. to provide a draft gear of the pneumatic, hydraulic and hydrostatic type in a manner hereinafter set forth, successively absorbing shocks of impact longitudinally imparted to the drawbars of railroad vehicles whereby said shocks will be gradually and efficiently absorbed throughout the length of a railroad train when equipped with said draft gears.

A further object of the invention is to provide a draft-gear of such a type in a manner as hereinafter set forth with a plunger extending into a cylinder and acting in con unction with said cylinder and a liquid and fluid for the purpose of absorbing shocks of impact longitudinally imparted to the drawbars of railroad vehicles.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a draft gear of the pneumatic, hydraulic and hydrostatic type which is comparatively simple in its construction and arrangement of parts, strong, durable and efficient in its use and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and maintain.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts and elements as hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications can be resorted to that come within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, Figure l is a top plan view of a, draft gear in'accordance with this invention, the yoke being broken away. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the draft gear.

Referring to the drawings in detail A. denotes the cylinder provided with an auxillary chamber B. and said cylinder having movably mounted therein the plunger 0, in connection with the spring D.

The reference letter R. indicates the yoke strap which is attached to the draw head 0-. in this instance by meansof rivets Z.

Placed within the yoke strap R. at each end, is the follower plates N. and N. and between said follower plates the cylinder A. and its attachments, are to be placed, said cylinder being our present invention and will be described more fully hereinafter- The coupler and shock absorbing attachments, when assembled, are to be raised into position between the draft or center sills P. andmaintained in place by means of any carrying iron or support that may be suitabio for that purpose.

The stop castings or lugs Q. Q. Q. Q. are to be attached to the sills P, as is customary in car construction.

Generally describing our invention the same consists of the cylinder A. containing a liquid, said cylinder being suitably mounted within the yoke strap R. and movably mounted within said cylinder is the plunger C. having thereon one or more expansion rings J.

A spring D. is interposed between the rear wall of the cylinder A. and the plunger C. and normally tends to hold said plunger in a forward position until it is caused to move by an impact or pressure applied to the draw head 0.

Mounted on and being a part'of the cylinder A. is the auxiliary chamber B. Entering therein from said cylinder is a port or passage E. through the division wall S. said port or passage providing a means whereby a fluid may pass from said cylinder to said auxiliary chamber and vice versa, as may be required in the operation of the mechanism.

The plate or desk G. and the plunger rod H. is to be attached to the plunger head C. and said plate or disk acting as a stop for the purpose of preventing said piston from moving into the cylinder A. beyond a necessary point, said plate or disk engaging the cylinder head F. and by that means accomplishing this object.

Mounted on the auxiliary chamber B. and entering therein, an air escapement valve K. provides a means for the escape of a gas therein contained and prevents the creation of a vacuum at the return of liquid to the cylinder A. from the auxiliary chamber B. upon the release of pressure on the plunger C. the valve shown on the drawing is operated by suction and compression, but several styles of valves may be used to accomplish the same object.

WVhen the plunger C. is moved rearwardly into the cylinder A. a vacuum will be created between said plunger and the cylinder head F. thereby causing a pneumatic action to take place at that time.

The opening and plug L. provides a means whereby the cylinder A. may be charged with liquid whenever required.

The draw head 0. and the yoke end block WV. engage either of the following plates N. N. and compress the plunger G. in the cylinder A. and force the liquid contained in said cylinder through the tube or passage E. into the auxiliary chamber B. and said liquid will return to the cylinder A. from the auxiliary chamber B. upon the release of pressure on the plunger C. and the return of the plunger C. to original position by expansion of spring D. substantially shownt The reference character P indicates the draft or center sills used in car construction.

We are aware that previous to our inven- Oooies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the tion that draft gears were used on railroad cars. We,.therefore, do not claim such a combination broadly, but

What we claim as new and novel and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is. 1. In a pneumatic, hydraulic and hydrostatic draft gear of railroad cars and vehicles the combination of cylinder, nonleakable plunger and auxiliary chamber, an escapement valve adapted to permit the escape of air or gas from said auxiliary chamber and prevent the escape of liquid therein contained and by the return of air to said auxiliary chamber prevents the creation of vacuum therein at the retraction of said plunger in said cylinder at the release of pressure on said plunger.

2. In the combination of a pneumatic, hydraulic and hydrostatic draft gear of railroad cars and vehicles, including an auxiliary chamber connected to a cylinder by ports or passage said auxiliary chamber having connected herewith an air escapement valve, said cylinder having movably mounted therein a non-leakable plunger acting in conjunction with liquid and fluid, providing a means for absorbing a shock or impact imparted to railroad cars or vehicles longitudinally through the drawbar.

GEORGE G. ROSS. HARRY E. ROSS. LEO D. ROSS. Witnesses:

W. IRWING HUNTER, W. R. RUFFNER.

Commissioner of Iatents,

Washington, D. G. 

